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February is that month that comes and goes so quickly, before you know it it’s March. I’m sure like me you all got those Valentine Day emails reminding us about love.
Though the month may only have 28 days this year, so much has happened in the climate movement with innovative campaigns from different teams honouring the month of love with a call to action to break up with oil, coal and gas. I like the sound of that.
Our love language is the climate movement, and we want to pour all our love to the people facing the climate crisis in the various regions across. Including all the social economic impacts that have us in a bind. In this sensitive but crucial moment, we still have to protect our planet in the name of love, and humankind.
Thank you for being back to our newsletter and we’ll see you again next month, when we will feature the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Synthesis Report and the energetic Fridays For Future climate strikes taking us back to the streets to demand climate justice.
Why don’t you join our Fossil Free mailing list for all the latest stories on climate organizing from around the world? Stories that matter. Campaigns that inspire. All delivered directly to you every month!
In Case You Missed It
Ukraine and the energy transition
February 24, 2023 marked the one year anniversary of the war in Ukraine – a war that is fed every day by our addiction to fossil fuels.
In this last year, our friends in Ukraine have been fighting fiercely, and demanding a full embargo on russian fossil fuels and an end to all investments into russian energy infrastructure, to dry up putin’s war budget. The Stand With Ukraine campaign was launched last year and has already collected signatures from 860 organisations in 60 countries.
As Svitlana Romanko, from Razom We Stand, said: “The invasion of Ukraine will end. Now is the time for policymakers and power brokers to act – by cutting murderous oil, gas and coal money flows to russia and everywhere. In doing so, we will chart a new course for Ukraine and the world, one that frees us from the ties of fossil fuel dictators and embraces a renewable powered future.” We stand in support and solidarity!
Two-faced ICBC
Why two-faced?
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, is the world’s biggest bank and while they claim to be the main multinational investor in renewable energy, their fossil fuel financing has massively increased in the last four years and they are still the world’s largest financier of coal! Now, if that’s not double dealing, what is it?
The numbers come from a recently released report by the Go Clean ICBC coalition, who is fighting for ICBC to stop the greenwashing and go clean for real. To stop the climate crisis, we need to match the growth of renewables and the phase out of all fossil fuels. We cannot afford to keep funding more coal, oil and gas projects!
Support the Go Clean ICBC and send a letter to the bank’s shareholders to push ICBC to become a real climate leader.
Break Up with Oil
We are swiping left on Big Oil! No dwelling on their profiles, no thinking about whether they’re for us. It’s time to break up with oil!
The BIG 5 – Shell, Exxon, Chevron, TotalEnergies and BP, all came out releasing their insane earnings. Earnings raked up to almost $200 billion of combined profits. With the world in all sorts of crises it’s infuriating to see that as we struggle with the rising cost of living, these fossil fuel giants double their profits and get richer.
That’s why on Valentine’s Day, our team in the UK launched the campaign Make Them Pay calling for a real windfall tax. In simple terms means an ‘extra tax that a government charges a company when it makes a large unexpected profit, especially if they have been helped by economic conditions’. We need to stabilise the playing field, and for that these giants need a windfall tax.
Through our collective efforts we can make a difference and ensure their profits don’t keep rising at the cost of our livelihood!
Wallabies a walking fossil fuel billboard
In case you’re like me and had to research who the Wallabies are, they are an Australian national rugby team. According to their schedule, they are actually headed to France this year for the Rugby World Cup. Now you’re probably wondering why this affects you, but this team in the Aussie land has the shameful nature of having a fossil fuel company – Santos, inscribed on their jersey for the world to see.
Our friends from 350 Australia are running a campaign for rugby teams to cut ties with the fossil fuel industry. Santos like most fuel companies have been throwing our climate and communities under the bus for decades, emitting millions of tonnes of methane and carbon into the atmosphere, with no plans on slowing down.
Our mission is one despite the miles and oceans separating us; put an end to the fossil fuel industry!
One to Watch
Breaking up with fossil fuels has been the theme of February for us. To seal it this we have a break up song that was specifically written for the Deutsche Bank. The German bank has investments worth billions in fossil giants such as RWE and Total Energies, and has been heating up the climate crisis for decades.
The creative #breakupwithDeutscheBank campaign asked its customers to break up with the bank and find a more sustainable one. On Valentine’s Day, our supporters brought heart-shaped boxes filled with coal to Deutsche Bank branches across Germany.
Use your power
Last week, people all around the world came together once again to say no to the East African Crude Oil pipeline. In the midst of this climate crisis, it’s outrageous that companies and banks are still considering financing a project that will dump 33 million tones of carbon into our atmosphere per year, and harm thousands of people in local communities.
On February 22nd, we took the streets in 17 cities for the EACOP Global Day of Action, urging Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Standard Bank and Standard Chartered to choose sides: will they actively work to protect our planet or add more fuel to a burning planet?
Climate activists from Stop Total collective and other grassroots groups.
Photo credit: Claire Jaillard / 350.org
These Japanese banks are about to finance the pipeline. They continue to overlook the dangers that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline poses on the lives of millions of people and the environment. But we will keep pressure up!
Our movement has already stopped 24 banks and 22 insurers from financing EACOP, and we will not stop until this project is dead for good. As a united front we can reach out to them and stop the flow of money – show your support:
Skill up your activism
To kick off International Women’s month, in March, we found this course on gender and climate justice that is definitely relevant. Not just to suit the month and the conversation, but relevant to piece and connect how we can’t talk about climate change without bringing in gender.
I simply loved this sentence about the course – “For many women and girls living in poverty, the chances of achieving a better life are threatened by a double injustice: climate change and gender inequality.”
Take the course, it’s free.
IN OTHER NEWS
- São Paulo: Dozens killed as deadly storms hit Brazilian coast
- Protestors in Paris target TotalEnergies East Africa oil pipeline
- Why are BP, Shell, and Exxon suddenly backing off their climate promises?
- US energy firms use Ukraine war to lock in long-term gas contracts
Quote of the month
“It is the poorest population that is most affected by climate change. It is not fair or ethical for them to be pushed into risk areas.”
Marina Silva, Brazilian Environment Minister
(talking about the extreme rainfall and landslides that killed more than 60 people this month in São Paulo)